The Seahawks held the 49ers to 73 yards in two-RB sets in Week 18. San Francisco had amassed at least 200 yards in those sets in each of the last three weeks.
Seattle’s defense played nickel (5 defensive backs) on every play the 49ers ran with two RBs.#SEAvsSF | @Seahawks
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 4, 2026
The Seattle Seahawks are still reeling from their Week 18 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks defeated their rival 13-3 to claim the NFC West division title and No. 1 seed in the conference, which comes with the benefit of a first-round bye and homefield advantage.
It was a truly dominant defensive performance by Mike Macdonald’s unit. Next Gen Stats recently published some impressive numbers from Sunday’s victory. Firstly, the Seahawks held the 49ers to 73 yards in two-RB sets in Week 18. San Francisco had amassed at least 200 yards in those sets in each of their previous three contests.
Seattle’s defense played nickel (five defensive backs) on every play the 49ers ran with two RBs. Macdonald clearly had a defensive strategy in mind to combat Kyle Shanahan’s preferred approach. It’s impressive that the Seahawks so easily managed to take away the 49ers’ success.
The 49ers scored just three points and gained nine first downs. It was a totally dominant showcase by Macdonald’s defense. The 49ers held to 173 total yards of offense and 53 net rushing yards. They punted on four occasions and barely possessed the football for 20 minutes. What a performance!